Ball & Chain
by ShipperInFandomland
Summary: Castiel is an inmate in Kansas state penitentiary. Has been for a few years. When two brothers come to the prison, he can't help but give one of them his heart.


**Scene 1**

Cas sat at the edge of the cot. His tattered orange jumpsuit stood out from the gray walls of the cell. He was in the "innocents" wing of Kansas State Penitentiary, where those who were assumed to be psychopaths live out a few years of their life. A loud bell rang through the wing. The cell door opened as Cas stood up from his "bed". He walked out with the rest of his inmates to the cafeteria. "Someone new came in last night." Balthazar whispered to Cas when they sat down. If Cas remembered correctly, Balthazar had (accidentally) burned and killed a few people when he lit every copy of "Titanic" on fire in a DVD store.

"Who?" Cas asked between bites of slimy green beans.

"His name is Dean." Balthazar said, "Rumor has it that he murdered five people in cold blood."

Gabriel, who sitting to Cas' right, chimed in. "I heard it was ten".

"Here he comes." Balthazar whispered.

The double brown doors to the cafeteria opened. A group of heavily armed guards marched in and took posts around the room. The cafeteria fell silent when Dean walked in. He had tan hair and a smirking mouth. His hands were bound tight by a pair of handcuffs. It was a known fact that every new prisoner must wear handcuffs for 12 hours. His emerald green eyes seemed to latch on Cas, and his lips grew to a predatory smile. Dean sat down at the other end of the cafeteria, and everyone one around him moved to another location. A taller man followed Dean, and sat down next to him.

"Who's that?" Cas asked Balthazar.

"I think that's his brother, Sam".

Cas studied the taller man. He had shaggy brown hair that reached his shoulders. Sam wasn't studying the crowd like his brother, but instead had his head tilted down low, his eyes staring at the floor. The whole time Cas could feel Dean's eyes staring at him. Cas turned and stared back at him with as much fierceness as he could muster, hoping it would scare Dean, or at least get him to stop staring. But instead, Dean smiled more, and winked at Cas. Uriel, who was to Cas's left, looked between them.

"No. Cas, don't even think about it." Uriel warned, "Go for Meg instead. Or April. Not him".

"Leave him alone." Gabe said,putting his arm around Cas. "I plan to go after the big one myself."

Uriel whispered something into Gabriel's ear, but he was too quiet for Cas to here what he was saying.

"Who cares? We're not going to get into trouble." Gabe said as the bell for work rang and all the prisoners shuffled out to their designated areas.

"We'll see you after work." Balthazar said as he and Gabe headed towards the kitchen.

Cas went to the supply closet. He grabbed one of the mops and a bucket filled with soapy water. He walked to the east wing and started mopping up puddles of urine and toilet water. Someone grabbed Cas and slammed him into the wall. The same emeralds he had seen in the cafeteria stared at him.

"Who sent you?" Dean yelled.

"What do you mean?" Cas whimpered. Dean was even scarier up close. He had this aroma of domination and fear.

"Was it her? It was, wasn't it?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb. I know she sent you."

"No one sent me!" Dean looked over Cas and, finally, let him go. Dean left without another word, leaving Cas to resume is work in confusion. But one question stuck in Cas's mind.

"How did he get out of those handcuffs?"

When recreational time came along, Cas was still a little shaken up. He met up with Gabe and Balthazar near the benches in the courtyard. They chatted about prison life and bragged about how many push-ups they could do. Dean approached Cas while Gabe was complaining about how hard it was to anything sweet.

"Hey, I'm sorry about how I acted." Dean apologized. Balthazar and Gabe's mouths hit the floor. Dean definitely didn't look like the "I'm sorry" type.

"It's alright" Cas turned back to his friends, but Dean grabbed his arm.

"Let me make it up to you".

Dean's touch made Cas jump. Cas spun around. Dean held out a small package, wrapped in foil. It was a small snack cake with white icing.

"How did you get one?" Cas said. Snack cakes were hard to get.

"Stole it. Here." Dean placed the cake in Cas's hand and walked away. Cas unwrapped the cake and split it into thirds. He gave one part to Balthazar, another to Gabe and kept one for himself. The cake tasted amazing compared to the food he forced down for the past year. Gabe ate his in a flash, happy to finally have something to settle his sweet tooth. Cas laughed when Gabe tried to steal some of Balthazar's cake. Cas glances at where Dean was. He was chatting to Sam. Sam moved his head and looked straight at Cas when Dean was distracted. He nodded to Cas. Cas looked away quickly.

Cas couldn't sleep that night. His head was filled with thought of Dean. How could that man kill someone? He was sweet and caring and, most of all, hot. Cas rolled over, trying to sleep. The door to his cell creaked open. Cas was up in a moment. He had heard of people getting killed in their cells. The intruder stayed out of the light.

"Who are you?" Cas asked the darkness. The man stepped into the light. Cas felt his heart skip a beat. Sam was in his cell.

"What do you want?" Cas asked shakily. Sam was at least a foot taller than Cas.

"Calm down. I just want to talk." Sam said. He sat at the end of the cot. Cas hesitated before sitting at the other end.

"I saw how you looked at him." Sam said. A knot formed in Cas's stomach.

"It's ok. It's just...everyone else is afraid of us." Sam sighed and turned his head towards Cas.

"But you aren't. You sparked something in him. He went through a lot of trouble to get that cake. You're special." Cas was speechless. He had never been told he was special.

"What's your name?"

"C-Castiel, but everyone calls me Cas."

"Tell you what, Cas, if you decide to go after him, stick with him. He has been to hell and back and doesn't need his heart broken as well." Sam stood up and walked towards the door. He stopped right before leaving. "I'll be visiting every once in awhile to make sure you aren't going to use him like.." he trailed off. "Let's keep this conversation between us." Sam left and Cas layed back down. Who had used Dean? Did he have an affect on Dean? Did Dean see him the same way? The brothers definitely didn't look or act like killers. Cas put off all thoughts and fell asleep.

 **Scene 2**

Uriel asked Meg to come sit with them. "Hey Clarence." Meg said when she sat down across from Cas. "Hello Meg." Cas said. Meg was very pretty, and she was clearly interested. If Cas was straight, he would be all over her. Cas looked over her head to see Dean staring at her. If looks could kill, Meg would be six feet under. Gabe stood up while she was talking about her brother Tom. "I'm gonna do it." Gabe said with a sinister smile. Cas knew Gabe well, and he also knew this was not going to end well for his victim. He walked over to Sam and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Sam stood up. Gabe then grabbed Sam's shirt and kissed him. A few hollers came from the crowd. Dean, who probably would have murdered Gabe, was completely still with shock. Sam grabbed Gabe's shoulders and pushed him off. He stared at Gabe in a mix of confusion and embarrassment. His face was as red as the tomato-like substitute that they got and his eyes were as big as dinner plates. Gabe, who had a smirk plastered on his face, pivoted on his heels and walked back to the group (who were staring at him, mouths agape). "Your turn, Cas." Gabe sat back down and continued eating. "I hate you." Cas said as he stood up, rolling his eyes. "No you don't." Gabe singsonged back. Cas felt like his feet had cement tied to them. He could feel everyone's eyes staring at him. His heart raced as he approached Dean. "I...I'm sorry how my friend acted. He has no restraints." Cas waves his hand vaguely in Gabe's direction. Dean nodded his head slightly. "What's his name? What does he like?" Sam asked as he leaned in to hear the answer. His face was still red, "His name is Gabriel, though everyone calls him Gabe. He likes anything sugar related. He's got a major sweet tooth." Sam leaned back, content. Cas turned his attention back to Dean. He sat down and said, "I liked the cake." "Good." They sat in awkward silence for what seemed like forever. "Do you want to come work with me during work period?" Dean blurted, breaking the silence. "I-I would like to." The bell rang for free period.

"I cannot believe you did that." Uriel said. "Just kiss him in front of everyone! He must be so embarrassed!"

"He'll live." Gabe said with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, Cas, what did Dean say?"

"He asked me to come to work with him."

Balthazar smiled. "Looks like you got yourself a date, Cassie."

"Don't call me Cassie. Oh, and Sam asked about you, Gabe."

"Really now? What did he ask?"

"He asked your name and what you liked."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him you were an ass-butt and that you liked vegetables."

Balthazar laughed. "Ass-butt? You could never keep up with the times, Cassie."

"I said, don't call me Cassie."

"Oh look, there's your boyfriend." Cas turned around. Dean was leaning against a wall and talking to a newer inmate, Adam. Dean met Cas's gaze and winked. Twin pink circles formed on Cas's cheeks. "Awww, look. Someone's got a cruuusshhh." "Shut up Gabe." The bell rang a few seconds later. Cas was about to go to were Dean worked when he remembered he had no idea where that was. He looked around for Dean and saw him go through the gates to the north wing. Cas made his way through the group of prisoners trying to get to their next place. "Dean! Wait for me!" The tan head turned his way and its attached body stopped. Cas caught up with Dean and they walked together in silence.

"What job do you have?"

"I make the beds. You?"

"Mopping. How long have you been in prison?"

Dean sighed. "Twenty-five years."

This took Cas by surprise. His sentence was only for for five years. He must have done something worse to still be in prison.

"Why are you and Sam in prison, anyway?"

"Never ask about me or Sam's past. Got it?"

"Yeah".

They were making the beds when suddenly Dean said, "What do you plan to do when you get out of this dump?"

Cas thought for a moment before replying.

"I want to own a house and a family. What about you?"

"I want to send Sam to a nice school. It's all my fault he's in here, anyway."

"Do you have any family?"

"It's just me and Sam. What about you?"

"I never knew my mom and my dad walked out on me. I have two brothers, Michael and Raphael, but I barely see them. "

"Dude, that sucks."

"Yeah. But Gabe and Balthazar are like family to me."

"The guys you were sitting with?"

"Yeah."

"I just realized." Dean said, turning towards Cas, "I never learned your name."

"Castiel. My name is Castiel."

"Castiel." Dean sounded out every syllable. Cas loved how he said his name.

"Weird name. Do people call you anything else?"

"Everyone calls me Cas."

"I've got a question, 'Cas'. "What is it?"

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"No. I've never dated."

"Except for now."

Dean, while he was talking, had pinned Cas to the wall. This time it was different, as instead of Dean holding him, Dean's arms were on either side, trapping him in, his face smiling down at Cas.

"And what a great first date this is."

"Do you not like it? It's just me and you, no one to bother us."

"I like it, but-"

"But what? Wish for something else?"

Dean moved his mouth so that it was only as few inches away from Cas's.

"You wish."

"Hell yeah I wish. But I know you wish it too."

"I do not!" Cas playfully pushed Dean's chest.

"Right, you don't. Kiss me if I'm wrong, but you're not interested."

Cas looked up and pressed his lips to Dean's. Their mouths found each other easily, like they were built for each other. "Good thing I'm wrong." Dean whispered. Cas let out a small laugh and kissed him again.

A knock came at his cell door. Cas opened his eyes and yawned.

"Psst. Cas!"

"Dean? What are you doing here?"

"I need to tell you something! Let me in!"

"Fine." Cas swung his legs over the side of his 'bed' and stumbled to the door.

"I don't know how to open it."

"Just slide that bolt right there and pull." Cas followed these directions and the door slide open. Dean slipped in quickly and Cas shut the door.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"This."

Dean trust his lips onto Cas's. Like the first time, their mouths slid together like a puzzle. Their bodies aligned, the hardest parts of Dean against the softest parts of Cas.

"You can't be here. You'll be caught." Cas whispered.

"I don't care. I had to see you again. I missed you."

"You just saw me a few hours ago."

"And? I wanted to see you."

"You can wait until tomorrow."

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can. And you will."

Cas tried to push him out of the cell, but Dean stayed with his feet firmly planted on the ground. Cas sighed heavily and tried another tactic.

"You aren't getting anything."

"I don't care. I just want to be with you."

"You can stay here if you want, but I'm going back to sleep."

Cas layed down on his cot and faced the wall. Cas heard Dean sigh and two bulky arms wrapped around Cas. Cas could feel the heat coming of Dean's body. Cas snuggled up closer to him and they fell asleep, disappearing into the land of dreams.

Cas woke up to crying. Dean was still next to him, but he was shaking. Cas sat up and looked at him. He was sobbing and whispering things like "Don't hurt him" or "Stay away". Cas put his arm around Dean, which was a little difficult to do, as Dean was a lot bigger than him. Cas pulled Dean close, and thought about what he could do to calm him down. Then he remembered a song that his brother Michael used to sing to him when he was a baby. Cas opened his mouth and started to sing softly.

"I don't know baby what I'd do on this earth without you

We all live

And we all die

But the end is not goodbye

The sun comes up

And the seasons change

And through it all, love remains"

It took awhile, but Dean eventually calmed down. He stopped shaking and rested his head peacefully on Cas's chest. Cas smoothed his hair and stared into the darkness. He thought about the future him and Dean could have together. A house in the suburbs. Normal jobs. Sam & Gabe coming over for dinner every other week. The whole package. But in the back of Cas's mind, he knew that would never happen. The time they spent in prison would forever prevent that. Cas kissed Dean's forehead. "We'll make it through." Cas yawned and shut his eyes. "We'll make it through."

 **Scene 3**

The bell woke Dean up. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on Cas. He was surprised he didn't squish the guy. He looked at Cas lovingly. He looked at Cas's face shape, his hair, his mouth. He looked at the way the light reflected off him, as if he had absorbed it and was letting it go. .He sat up and shook Cas lightly. "Wake up." Dean whispered. Cas yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Good morning." Cas yawned. Dean stood up and shuffled towards the door. Cas followed suit. They walked to the cafeteria and sat down at their usual tables.

"I saw Dean leaving your cell. Did you..?" Uriel asked when they had all sat down.

"I know what you are going to ask, and the answer is no." Uriel relaxed a bit.

"I still think you shouldn't date him."

"Well, I'm dating Sam, so I'm going to side with Cas on this one." Gabe interjected.

"When did you start dating Sam?" Cas asked.

"Yesterday. He got me a candy bar."

"That's sweet."

"Yeah, and I thanked him last night."

"Gabriel! You better not have done what I think you have!"

"Let's just say that Sam isn't walking straight." Uriel gasped and put his hands on Cas's ears. Cas rolled his eyes. "Uriel, I'm twenty two. I'm not a child." Gabe laughed as Uriel sheepishly put his hands down. "Mind if we sit here?" Cas turned his head to see Dean and Sam standing with their trays in hand. "Sure" Cas answered and scooted over. Dean plopped down next to him. "You can sit next to me, Samsquanch" Gabe said. Sam sat down next to him and started eating. "Talk about being a third wheel. I'll be at another table. C'mon, Uriel." Balthazar said, rolling his eyes and standing up. Uriel followed suit. Cas stifled a laugh. Balthazar was funny when he wasn't setting things that he didn't like on fire.

"So, Gabriel, have you been treating my brother well?" Dean asked between bites.

"He's treating me fine." Sam rushed.

"Are you treating Cas well?" Gabe asked in return.

"Yes. And I always will." Dean answered. Cas felt his cheeks go hot.

"What do you plan to do when you get out?" Cas asked Sam.

"I plan to get a job somewhere and eventually settle down. You?"

"I hope to do the same".

The four of them continued to talk until the bell rang. The couples parted ways, each man with their boyfriend.

The next few weeks went like this. Sam would check in every two weeks to see how Cas was treating Dean, and in turn Cas would ask about him and Gabe. Dean and Cas spent almost every night together, and Cas sang to Dean whenever he had nightmares. One time, Dean had to hide under Cas's bed because a guard came too close. Dean wouldn't stop getting into trouble, usually stealing a candy bar or a can of beer from the little commissary the prison had. Most of the time he shared his "findings" with Cas, but sometimes he gave some to Sam, Gabe (Rarely, Dean still didn't like him) or Balthazar. Everything was peaceful for a few months. But then Sam and Dean started to act weird. They became distant, not spending much time with their boyfriends. Dean only went to Cas's cell once every few weeks. Cas and Gabe tried to figure out what had happened, but to no avail.

On Monday night, a knock came at the cell door. Cas rose up and saw Dean standing there. He walked over and opened the door and Dean slipped inside. Cas was about to say something, but he saw the panicked look on Dean's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Sam and I are going to escape. I want you to come with me." Dean gently took Cas's hands. "Say you will."

"How?"

"An old imate left a tunnel in one of the cells. We plan to use it."

"Is it safe?"

"We have gone down it multiple times and seen where it leads. We haven't seen any guards." "When?"

"Wednesday night. Will you come?" Cas thought about it. If they got caught, they would face the death penalty. But if they were to escape…

"How are we going to hid who we really are?"

"There's a guy about five miles from here. His name's James Carrow. He can provide us with fake ids and passports."

"Is that why have you been so distant lately? Because you were planning this?"

"Among other things."

"Who else is coming?"

"Sam and Gabe."

"Will Balthazar be coming?"

"If you want him too. But the only person I care about is you."

"And Sam?"

Dean let out a little chuckle. "And Sam."

"I'll come. But only if Balthazar can too."

"I would let the whole prison come if you would as well."

"I'll tell Balthazar tomorrow. Where shall we meet?"

"Wing C, cell #240. Come at midnight." Dean brushed his lips against Cas's before slipping out the door.

"I love you." Dean whispered.

"I love you too."

They meet at the appointed time. Cas brought Balthazar and Sam brought Gabe. "Is everyone ready?" Dean asked. "Yes" Sam answered. They spoke in hushed voices, so quiet that if someone was more than two feet away, all they would hear is silence. Dean nodded to each one in turn, and then pulled on a small gap in the cement floor of the cell. Sam helped lift the slab to reveal a small passage way. They slid the top back just far enough that everyone could get in and someone could replace the slab from inside the tunnel. Dean went down first, then Cas, who was then followed by Gabe, then Balthazar, and lastly Sam. Sam gently replaced the slab. The tunnel was freezing and dark, but Dean held Cas's hand as they crouched and crept through. Dean squeezed Cas's hand when the sound of barking could be heard above. Cas was aware of Dean's fear of dogs, so he rubbed Dean's hand with his thumb, reassuring him that the dogs couldn't reach them. The tunnel started to lighten suddenly, and the pounding of footsteps came from behind.

"Run!" Sam whispered quickly, and the five of them started to move three times as fast as before.

The footsteps grew closer and the light grew brighter.

"How do they know about the passage? We've been careful not to do anything while they're near!"

"We'll find out later. Right now, we need to get out of here!"

They kept running the best they could, but the guards were faster. They came upon a hole in to wall, that they wouldn't have noticed if Balthazar hadn't tripped over a rock and fell into it.

"If we didn't notice, they won't either. Everyone in!" Dean said.

They all tried to squish into the small space, but found only four of them could fit.

"I'll let them take me." Dean said, but Cas grabbed his wrist.

"If they take you, you'll be given the death penalty."

Dean looked into Cas's eyes and gave him a small kiss.

"As long as you're safe, I don't care."

Though Dean's face was hard and his words were brave, Dean's eyes told another tale. Cas could see it. Dean was scared. The guards were almost on top of them now.

"Stay quiet until we leave. Then sneak out." Dean whispered, and looked at Sam. "Keep them safe."

Sam nodded and pulled the three others closer. They sat in silence and listened as Dean was taken away. He had gone without a fight, and when they were sure the guards had left, they quietly snuck back into the tunnel. Cas glanced at Sam, who had an empty look in his eyes. "Sam, I'm-"

"It's alright. He made his choice. You didn't do anything." Sam replied coldly.

But Cas felt that Sam blamed him for Dean's capture. Gabriel led, Balthazar following closely behind. But Cas and Sam stayed there, which caught Gabriel's attention. He stopped, forcing Balthazar to stop with him.

"What's the holdup?" Gabriel asked.

"Sam and I are staying here, to watch the execution." Cas announced.

"He'll most likely be killed tomorrow. After they've killed him, we will come back through this way and meet you both on the other side." Sam stated. "There is a car, a black Chevy Impala, a few miles down the road. Stay there until we arrive. There should be money for food and drinks in the glove box."

Gabriel nodded, and started down the tunnel again. Balthazar grabbed Gabe's wrist, and said something, but he was so quiet that neither Sam or Cas could here him. Gabriel rolled his eyes and told Balthazar something. Balthazar's shoulders sagged in defeat, and they went down the dark hole. Sam and Cas went the other way, with Sam leading. They stayed silent, and when they had gotten out and the cover replaced, they went their separate ways.

 **Scene 4**

Cas woke up to the sound of a ringing bell. The ringing echoed in his head. Hey sat up and rubbed his temples. Dean's execution was today. Knowing the warden, the execution would be public, as a warning to any future attempts. He needed to find Sam and get to the courtyard as quickly as possible, so he might be able to ask the warden if he and Sam could say goodbye. Warden Robert or, as he prefered, Bobby Singer ran the prison. He always wore a necklace around his neck, but his shirt kept whatever was hanging from it out of view. He wasn't an evil man, just a stern one. The real person you needed to watch out for was the executioner, Crowley. No one knew his last name, it was just "Crowley". Crowley always wore a black suit, and wore a silver wedding ring with "You too, love" written on the inside (Gabe had seen it once when he snuck into the warden's office for "something" and saw it on a table). Crowley had an influence over Bobby, and it was rumored that the two shared a romantic relationship. Crowley's way of complete justice was to kill everyone, but Bobby prevented him from going on a murder spree. If Cas ran into Crowley before he was able to get to the warden, than it was all over. He had to be careful. He made his way through the halls, checking around every corner for the executioner. He got to the warden's office without any sign of Crowley. As he was about to open the door, he heard voices coming from inside. He put his ear to the door and listened.

Voice one: ...was friends with his father, big shame, I like the kid..."

"That must be Bobby." Cas thought.

Voice two: "You don't have to be there, darling. I can do it myself."

There was no need to guess who it was, the Scottish accent was clear.

Bobby: "I do have to be there, I have to gain respect from the inmates. But I think I'm gonna let the brother say goodbye..."

Crowley: "Sam? That's a good idea! Why don't we just give them the keys to the prison while we're at it! Am I the only one who doesn't underestimate those denim clad nightmares!? Amara did, and it blew up in her face!"

"Amara?" Cas thought, trying to remember if Dean had ever mentioned an Amara. A small flash of a woman appeared in his mind, but when he tried to look closer, the image disappeared.

"Quiet! I told you when I gave you this job that you were not to talk about her! If he heard too much about her, he might remember! We need to let the experiment finish!"

"What experiment?" Cas wondered.

"I'm sorry, love. I just don't want you to get hurt. But we need to get to the execution."

The door started to open, and Cas hid behind a pillar until they had gone around the corner. He ran to catch up to them, and tapped the warden on the shoulder. "Mr. Singer?" Both men turned around, and Bobby waved his hand at Crowley, the universal sign for "leave us." Crowley continued on and Bobby said, with great annoyance,

"What do you want?"

"I was going to ask if I could see Dean before his execution."

Bobby nodded, lead him down a hall towards death row.

"Mr. Singer…"

"Call me Bobby."

"Sorry, Bobby, can I ask what you have around your neck?"

Bobby sighed and pulled out the chain. A golden band hung on it. Cas noticed that "I love you" was engraved inside.

"You...you're married!?"

"Of course I am, ya idjit. I have a life, ya know."

"Who are you married to?"

"You've met 'im. I'm sure you've seen his ring already."

"Wha-Crowley?"

"Yep. Been together since '98."

Cas slowed down, processing the info. He had to run to catch up.

"Bobby, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Fire away."

"Can Sam say goodbye to Dean as well? I mean, it is his brother…"

Bobby sighed. "I know I'm not supposed to, but I will. I'll go get him while you talk to Dean."

"Thank you."

They had reached death row. Dean sat in the farthest cell. He sat with his head down on the edge of the cot.

"Dean?" Cas asked

Dean raised his eyes up in shock, and launched forward at the bars holding him in.

"Cas, what the hell are you doing here!?" Dean lowered his voice. "You were supposed to leave!"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave you."

"D***it, Cas." Dean sighed and looked at the floor. "Do you have any Idea what you've done?"

"Dean, I'm sorry…"

"I was ready to die so you could be free! But instead, you come back here, and I know they're going to be watching the tunnels, so now you're stuck here!"

"Dean…"

"No! You were supposed to leave with Sam and Gabe! Now I'm going to die for nothing! And it's all your fault!"

Cas had never seen this kind of rage in Dean before. He was furious, hands clenched at his sides, his eyes burning. But something was wrong. This wasn't Dean. Dean's hands reached through the bars and wrapped around Cas's neck. Cas gasped for air, there was no one there, no one to help, he knew he was going to die…

"Dean! Stop!"

Sam ran down the hall and pulled Dean's hands off of Cas and pushed Dean back. Cas gulped in air, and held his hand to his neck.

"Cas, you ok?"

Cas nodded, his throat was too sore to speak.

"Dean! What the hell!?"

Dean looked from between Cas and Sam, and his face turned to confusion.

"What happened? Cas, baby, you alright?"

"Cas, could you give us a minute?"

Cas nodded, and walked down the hall like he was going to leave, but instead ducked behind a pillar to listen in.

Sam: "You had something like an episode, but violent. You..."

Dean: "What? What did I do?"

"You tried to strangle Cas."

"I-Oh my God. Is he ok?"

"I was able to get him away from you before any damage was done."

Dean breathed a sigh of relief.

"What the hell happened, Dean?"

"I don't know. I was mad at Cas for coming back, and then it was like I blacked out. Then I woke up to you and Cas staring at me and Cas having red marks on his neck. "

"Should I call in Cas? I think you need to apologize to him."

"Yeah, do that."

Sam yelled for Cas and he came out from his hiding spot. He faked a confused face and looked between the boys.

"Is it safe to go near him now?" Cas knew the answer, but he couldn't let on that he knew.

"Yeah."

Cas walked closer. Dean pressed against the bars.

"Cas, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you."

"It's ok. What happened?"

Dean bit his lip and looked towards Sam. Sam's face had a hint of strain from trying to make up an excuse.

"Dean, he, uh..he... wasn't thinking straight."

"Ah. So you're ok now?" Cas said, looking at Dean. Dean's shoulders relaxed, thinking that Cas believed the lie.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Cas let a small smile creep onto his face. Dean was, well, Dean. He knew Dean tried to act strong and hard on the outside, but Cas knew all the squishy and fuzzy bits on the inside.

"Five minutes!" Bobby called from the end of the hall.

Cas moved closer to the bars, and cupped Dean's face in his hands. Dean's hard expression was what Cas expected, but instead of looking at the face, Cas focused on Dean's energy. Cas could sense a person's true emotions by touching them. Cas felt sadness off of Dean.

Tears started to fall down each of their faces. Dean put his hands on Cas's, and moved them between the two men. Dean looked over Cas's shoulder at Sam.

"You take care of him, you hear me? Or I swear to god…"

"I will."

"And you," Dean said, looking back at Cas, "take care of my brother."

"I will."

Bobby walked up to them and told them it was time to leave. As Cas pulled away, Dean grabbed his wrist.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Dean."

Dean let go, and he glanced at Sam.

"Tell him, Sam. Give him my journal."

Sam nodded and came up to the bars. Cas moved out of the way and stood next to Bobby while Sam hugged his brother.

"C'mon man, no chick flick moments."

Sam just hugged him tighter. He started to cry into Dean's shoulder. Dean patted him on the back. Sam backed up a little and released Dean from the hug.

"You be a good boy, ok Sammy? And when you get out of here, go back to school. Get that law degree. Live your life."

Sam nodded, and left with Cas & Bobby to go to the courtyard.

A large crowd had gathered in the small courtyard. The small stage that had been set up had a rope tied to a beam that was hovering in the air, only supported by a pole on its left side. Cas gazed at the rope. It was tied into a noose, and it was swinging gently in the wind. This rope has killed many, yet it was dancing gracefully. Cas & Sam got themselves a spot in the front middle. A bell rang, and Bobby walked up onto the stage. "Prisoners," he said, "Someone was found trying to escape the prison. And the punishment for that is death." The prisoners booed. Crowley walked up the stairs to the left, dragging a man with a bag over his head. Crowley escorted Dean to behind the noose, and put it on his neck. He tightened it and pulled the bag off Dean's head. Dean looked out at the crowd, and finally focused on Cas & Sam. Dean mouthed "I love you." to Cas as Bobby read off legal terms and punishments. Crowley moved for the lever that would drop the floor beneath Dean, and he smirked. "How could he take enjoyment in this?" Cas thought to himself, "Someone is about to die and he's happy?! It's not fair!" The last sentence echoed in his head. Cas felt a strange sensation, like power surging in his veins. "Cas?" Sam asked, looking nervously at him. "He doesn't deserve to die." Cas's hands turned to fists. Cas remembered Dean's laugh. His smile. How he would purse his lips when he was mad. All the freckles on his face. The way he would walk like he was the most important person in the room.

These memories seemed to fuel him. He grew stronger, more powerful. Dean's face went from fear to bewilderment. Cas felt like a light was being shone on him. A pair of black feathered wings extended behind him. A white noise sounded. Cas started to hear voices in his head. They were quiet, talking barely above a whisper. They only said one word, "Angel".The prisoners started to run, and Bobby and Crowley stood there, amazed. "You. Will. Not. Hurt. Him." Cas said angrily. Crowley backed away from the lever and put his hands in the air. Cas stretched out his hand, and just as he was going to turn them to dust….

His vision went black.

He awoke to a bright white light shining in his face. Someone called out that he was awake, but he couldn't see them. He tried to sit up, but cuffs around his wrists and ankles stopped him. He pulled and tugged, but nothing worked. A woman came up to him and shined a light into his eyes she was smiling.

"Good morning, Castiel." she said.

"Wha...Where am I? Who are you?" he asked

"My name is Beth. You're in Heaven."

"Heaven?"

"Yes. Your memories will come back to you in a moment."

Cas searched through his mind. He started by remembering who he was. His name was Castiel. He's an angel of the lord. He raised Dean Winchester from perdition. Dean….

"Where's Dean?" he asked

"Dean Winchester? He's on earth, with his brother."

"Where was I?"

"You were in a simulation."

"So none of that was real?"

"In a way, it was. We needed the participants to be real, so we took all the real people here that we could, and put them in as well."

"Why were we in a simulation? What was it for?"

"We needed to know what what could trigger your powers. Surprisingly enough, this was the only time that your powers were triggered. All the other attempts failed."

"Other attempts….?"

"We tried different scenarios to figure it out. Each time you were in the prison, but we had everyone do something different. Gabriel, or the projection of him, was a bully and you were the victim. We had different people in your group act differently, sometimes violent, sometimes they got caught and killed. But your angel abilities were only triggered when Dean Winchester was in trouble."

"So it was you that made Dean almost choke me?"

"Yes."

"How long have I been here?"

"One month."

A voice started to talk in Cas's mind. He recognized it as a prayer, and shut his eyes to focus. The prayer was calling him to come to an old motel on the side of a highway. Beth looked at how his face had scrunched up and frowned.

"Are they calling you?"

Cas opened his eyes and stared at her, deciding whether or not to tell the truth.

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Castiel. They are calling you."

"Let me go to them."

"I can't do that. Orders."

"Please. I need to talk to them."

Beth cocked her head to the side.

"Why do you love him?"

Cas was silent.

"You fell in love the moment you felt him. You loved him while he was a demon. You loved him even as he betrayed you. He almost killed you, and you still love him. Why do you have so much love for him?"

Cas didn't know why. He just did. He didn't know why Dean's soul was so beautiful. He didn't know why Dean's gaze made him feel warm. He didn't know why he could get memorized by Dean's every feature. He just didn't know. There was only one thing he did know. He had to get to Dean.

"Let. Me. Go."

"No."

Cas remembered what the angel said. He can activate his powers by thinking of Dean in trouble. He shut his eyes and focused. He thought of Dean in the prison, with the noose around his neck, waiting to die. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked around to see if anything else had happened. Nothing.

"If that didn't do it, then what did?" He wondered.

Then it hit him.

It wasn't Dean being in trouble, it was the thought of _losing_ him that triggered the powers. But what could he think of that would help him? There was nothing…

"Now, let's get you back under. We need to see if there's anything else that activates your powers."

Cas looked at Beth. He had almost forgotten that she was there. If she put him back into the simulation, then he won't see Dean! This was his chance! He drew strength from that idea. He called out to the other angels for help. He knew it was a little low, as most of the angels didn't like him, but there were a few that would help him if he needed it. Beth, who had also heard the call, hit Cas with the closest thing in reach, a steel pan, and interrupted the call before Cas could tell someone why he was there. For a few moments, no one came. Then the doors were thrown open, and a human with blue hair, hard eyes and a rough face stabbed Beth with an angel blade. Light came through Beth's eyes and mouth, and then she dropped like a bag of rocks onto the ground. The blue haired girl rushed over to Cas and started taking off his bonds.

"Thank you." He said, looking at her. He didn't know how a human heard him, but when reached over to untie one of the bonds, he noticed a small pair of badly burnt wings.

"Don't thank me yet. We have to get you out of here first."

Her nicely manicured nails tugged at the bondages, and she snapped the last of the bonds off, and helped Cas to his feet. It took him a minute to regain his balance, but eventually he could stand on his own. They ran down the halls, make sure to avoid any guards. Eventually they made it out of heaven, and the blue haired angel took him to a dusty old pickup. They got in and sped away. They were silent for a few minutes, but Cas couldn't refrain from asking who she was.

"My name is Charmiel(pronounced Charm-ee-l)."

"I haven't heard of you."

She laughed a little. "No, I suppose you wouldn't have. I'm a guardian angel."

"I didn't think those exist."

She sighed, her eyes shining with memories. "We're almost extinct. Being a guardian angel is difficult. We were the first humans that God created, but he didn't make us human enough. We have the humans' free will and feelings, and we see and are seen as humans, as our true form isn't bright enough to shine trough, and the angels' wings, though small, and lack of needs, such as sleep and food. When we are given someone to look after, you can't get attached, you can't fall in love, you can't have any emotions towards your charge, and you can't make any promises. If you were to do any of the above, such as getting attached, then when your ward dies, you.." She pursed her lips. "We find them in their rooms, angel blade to the heart. Sometimes we're able to get there in time to stop them, but most of the time, we're too late. And those that we save kill themselves later. Our numbers were small, and the Fall wiped more of us out. But look at me," She said, smiling sadly at the floor, "rambling on to a Seraph."

"You're not rambling. And I'm not an Seraph."

"Why do you think the angels were so interested in how your powers were activated? When God brought you back after Lucifer killed you, he ranked you up to a Seraph."

Cas sat in shocked silence. A Seraph? Seraphs were more powerful than the normal angel. They had more abilities. They could go through time more easily. They could smite demons with ease. As he remembered all that a Seraph could do, he realized he had exhibited all these abilities. Something dawned on him.

"How did you know they wanted to see how my powers were activated? I didn't say when I called."

She bit her lip and refused to make eye contact.

"We'll be there in an hour."

Cas sat back in his seat and gazed out the window.

They reached the motel just as the sun was setting. It was a bleak gray, with brown doors and even bleaker windows.

"Do you know which one they're in?" She asked, looking at the rows of rooms.

"No."

"Well then, let's go ask."

They walked to the office. A prim lady was sitting there, her hair in a hard knot and her rose coloured glasses resting on the tip of her nose.

"Would you like a room?"

Charmiel smiled.

"We're here to visit our cousins."

"Names?"

Cas glanced at the guest list. He looked down the list until he found two names that were the singers of rock bands. He picked it up and pointed to the two names.

"These two."

The lady nodded, and wrote down a number on a slip of paper. She handed it to Cas.

"Room 251."

"Thank you."

They walked out of the office and into the motel hallway. They found room 251 and stood outside the door. Charmiel was about to knock, but noticed the sad expression on Cas's face.

"Don't you want to go in?" she asked

The truth was that Cas didn't know if he did. He wasn't sure if they remembered the prison. The angels most likely erased their memories.

"Hey." Charmiel put her hand on Cas's shoulder. He looked at her hand and then at her face.

"It's ok."

Cas took a deep breath and nodded slightly to her. She knocked on the door. It cracked open, and a deep voice called out:

"Who's there?"

An eye appeared at the crack and studied Charmiel. Cas spoke to the eye.

"Dean, it's me."

The door opened, and Dean stood there, but he was eyeing Charmiel suspiciously. He had an angel blade at the ready, and he tightened his grip.

"Dean, she's safe."

Dean looked at Cas, and decided that he was telling the truth. He stepped out of the doorway and let the two in. Cas looked around the room. It was teal green, and two queens were on the left wall. A bathroom was in the back left corner, and a kitchenette in the front right, only separated from the beds by a half wall.

"Where's Sam?"

"Food run. Who's she?" Dean nodded to Charmiel.

"My name's Charmiel. I'm a guardian angel."

Dean raised his eyebrows.

"Those exist?"

"We're almost extinct."

Dean nodded slightly, and fixed his eyes on Cas.

Cas looked at Charmiel.

"Charmiel, Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure."

She bounced to the door, and whispered to Cas:

"I'll make sure no one comes in."

And with that, she left.

Cas stared at Dean. Dean returned the gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Cas asked

"Vamp nest."

Silence.

"Want me to grab you a beer?"

"I-No."

Dean shrugged and headed to the fridge. Cas went over to the beds and looked at the radio. He tilted it and looked at the date.

"Trying to turn it on?"

Cas didn't answer.

"You just press this button here."

Dean reached over and hit a red button on the top of the radio. A male voice came on and started singing. Cas recognized the lyrics as the song that he had sung to Dean to calm him down. He looked over at Dean, searching for any sign of remembrance or realization, but he found none. Dean turned around and walked away. Cas's shoulders sagged. He'd hoped that Dean would remember, but it was highly unlikely. His shoulders perked back up, though, when he felt a hand slide into his own and pull him away. Dean spun Cas around and shifted his hand to make it holding Cas's and put his other hand on the back to the dirty trench coat. He pulled Cas close and start rocking back and forth, going in a circle. Cas moved with him.

"Dean-"

"But the end is not goodbye." Dean sang, whispering the words into Cas's ear.

"You remember." Cas breathed.

"Of course I do."

Cas smiled. He gazed at Dean, and Dean gazed back.

"I love you, Dean."

"I love you too."


End file.
